With Birra Bran Raven I immediately knew it was a beer that the brewers cared about the condition it reached it's customers. The paper wrapper around the bottle to protect it from light damage made that clear. But that wasn't the only wrapper about this beer as it also seemed to be wrapped in a bit of mystery. No one seemed to know much about this beer. Even after tracking down their website it was little help because frankly I don't speak Italian, they don't have the site in English yet, and translation sites are iffy at best, so all I really had to go by was my own senses.

I opened the cap with a sharp pop, much like a Belgian ale, but there was a lack of effervescent carbonation that usually accompany such a loud burst. The cap was a mix between a traditional bottle cap and a modified plastic cork as evidenced below. (Bran's cap on the left, more traditional cap on the right)


As I poured the beer the color was a black with little head retention but then when I put the beer to light a deep red-brown emerges.

The aroma had roasted and coffee notes with some dried fruit component. No evidences of bitterness but it did vaguely reminded me of Old Ale or a Russian Imperial Stout.

When tasting the chocolate malt dominated but I also immediately noticed slight alcoholic warmth, that seemed to increase over time. As I mentioned earlier the carbonation not excessive considering the strong pop of the bottlecap-cork device. There was a heavy sweetness in the flavor and a slickness on tongue.

The warm alcohol character did confuse me for a bit. If the beer was 8.5% as the label indicated then it hinted to a fermentation problem I suspected. But then on the website it says Bran is a 10% beer which fits the hot alcohol warmth and body of the beer far better. I can more forgive a 10% beer for being hot than 8.5% beer. I suspect some form of labelling error took place and the higher number is closer to the truth. From my homebrewing experience better control of their fermentation temperature would reign in some of that hot character, but given enough time it will age out. My problem with it is I am not sure the beer has enough IBUs to withstand long term ageing and may become too sweet.

I asked an old friend who speaks Italian to translate this page for me and he mentioned that it said "there should be the tasting notes of their friend nicknamed "Illu". But since he is no longer willing to do that, they expose him (through the pictures) to the "mockery" of the public (as a punishment)..." so these are definitely folk with a good sense of humor.

In the end I think it is a immature or young Old Ale. I'd like to get another couple of bottles and age them out respectively 6 months and another at least a year or two and see where they go. I think they would get only more fascinating with a bit of time.